Heta-Generations
by Ame-chan777
Summary: The original countries have disappeared, the land anew. Reincarnations must take their place in the world, but many are missing. What does one Italian boy have to say about all of this talk of fate and his importance to everyone's lives? Will a German boy be able to convince him of things, or will everything be ruined by a naive Japanese youth seeking for trouble? Ame-chan777
1. Chapter 1

Enrico – [en-REE-ko] (Henry) "home ruler" Use: Italian.

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Heta-Generations

Chapter One:

Enrico

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Crystal clear waters, white foam lapping at the shore, I would not give this beauty up for anything. Not my Madre(1) nor my Padre(2) or even my Fratello(3) could know of this passion, this indescribable love for sketching the sea. Painting would be better, but it would take too long to dry, and I had no place to hide it. I would have to wait for a hot, dry day when Madre took a long while to go to the market. I felt the familiar jolt of excitement run up my spine at the thought, and I knew I should have been ashamed when I actually wasn't. With art, I felt wild and free, and I clung onto the feeling as long as I could.

"Enrico(4), it is time to wake up! Hurry or you'll be late!" I heard my Madre call to me. A sigh passed between my lips as I packed up my supplies and stood up. What Madre was not aware of was that I awoke every day two hours before she called me to get up. This gave me time to myself for finishing school assignments or working on my art. It was a time that I cherished.

Walking away from my window, I stopped at my dresser and pulled a burgundy sweater vest over my white dress shirt, completing my outfit and keeping me nice and comfortable for the day. I was about to grab my messenger bag that lied nearby when I heard a meow come from my bed. I looked over at the calico that sat there, staring at me. That, I laughed at.

"Okay! I'm going, I'm going! I swear, Fiore(5), you are so impatient…" I could not help the grin that spread across my face. There was a fresh rush of cheerfulness that ran through my veins as I bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen. Madre was busy preparing biscotti as I entered the room. "Bunogiorno(6), Madre! Where's my Fratello? Did he go to school?"

"Si; unlike you, that boy is actually prepared in the morning…" I winced ever so slightly at her remark but then relaxed and allowed the words to roll off of me. This was the normal way she spoke to me, always praising my Fratello, always comparing me to him. Madre suddenly handed me a piece of bread with cheese smeared on top of the crust. "Here. Now, got to school or else!" She stretched out the last words threateningly. It was then that I took my leave, and as I was closing the front door, I heard the woman inside sigh and grumble, "I swear… that boy."

Subtle warmth crept behind my honey drenched eyes, tears threatening to fall. I should not have these emotions after hearing it for so long… Why did I have to be such a crybaby? I rubbed my eyes as I walked down the cobbled street but stopped to check the time. I only had ten minutes before school started! My steps turned into a jog and after a few seconds a flat out run. I stuffed the bread in my mouth, barely tasting the richness of mascarpone(7) on ciabatta(8) as I chewed.

I could see the clock tower in the distance and began to sprint as fast as my short legs would take me. My brown loafers passed into the cobbled court yard just as the bell rang and I finished my breakfast. I threw up my arms in triumph and shouted out victory. The gates were closed behind me, and I decided it was then time to head towards my class.

The hallways were empty as I roamed the school. I could hear the teachers beginning their lessons in the rooms I passed by. At last, I reached the one I was looking for. Class had already started, so I peeked through the glass pane that was placed within the door. Our instructor had her back turned, facing the board as she scribbled something in chalk. This was my perfect chance to sneak in. I hunkered down to the wooden floor and slowly slid the door open. No one appeared to notice as I crawled behind a nearby desk while quickly and quietly closing the door behind me. The next part of my plan was to get to my seat before the teacher saw me. I was but a few feet away when the words I oh so dreaded met my ears.

"Mr. Alduino(9), if you intend to sneak into my class, I suggest making less noise." The scribbling of chalk came to an abrupt halt as I swallowed the lump that had accumulated in my throat. As one, the entire room went silent. Having no other choice than to face my fate, I stood to where the woman upfront could see me. She beckoned for me to venture closer, and I obeyed. I hung my head so as my reddish, brown hair covered my eyes. That way, I could avoid her piercing gaze. "I expect you to visit the principle immediately." For the first time that day, I looked into her eyes that screamed the words that I was in trouble.

"Si, Ma'am…" My reply was quiet, almost inaudible, a murmur to my ears and the ones around me. She pointed to the exit, where I had entered just moments before. It was then I turned to leave. A few of my classmates snickered as I passed by them. The only exceptions were my best friends, Abele and Eva(10). They just gave me sympathetic looks, and Abele mouthed a 'Good luck'.

xXx

I was left off easy, thankfully. There was no reason to inform my parents due to me being just late to class. If I had missed school altogether, that would be an entirely different story…

The next time I saw my friends was on the walk home. Eva lived nearby, but Abele's family had a house down the road. We took our time, enjoying the warm spring weather and fresh air. Abe and I made small talk as Eva remained silent and chose to listen. This was highly unlike her; usually, Eva had everything to talk about. She wasn't called Encyclopedia Eva for nothing, but today was different. Eva walked a few feet in front of us, and I made sure not to walk on her heels. It was when she pivoted on her foot to turn to us that I nearly ran her over. Abe, unlike me, stopped on the dime along with Eva's sudden movement. He had to pull me back by my shirt sleeve to keep me from tumbling into the girl in front of us. Eva's eyes glistened with excitement as she grinned and her pulled back, long brown hair flowed in the wind. There was the expression I had missed; I just wish she would not allow it to appear so suddenly.

"I bet you can never guess what my Padre told me last night!"

"Oh great… another wild story." Abele mumbled. Eva's Padre was notorious for sharing the craziest stories. Once, he had even said that fairies were real. To be honest, I believed him to be completely off his rocker. Abe thought the same, so that was why we never believed much of Eva's tales.

"It. Is. Not. Wild." She glared and poked painfully into my other friend's shoulder. "This one is actually believable… so much that I honestly have to say it's a bit scary." Her voice grew deadly quiet, so much that I actually appeared interested in spite of myself. She took us by our arms and pulled us over to the street corner nearby.

"What is it?" I asked. Eva looked around us to see if anyone else was listening. When the coast was clear, she leaned toward us and began whispering.

"Padre started talking yesterday in gibberish…" Her piercing chocolate eyes bugged out.

"I thought he did that every day. What's the big deal?"

"Shut up and listen, the both of you!" She glared at us. "Anyways, me and Madre started talking to him, telling him that he was making no sense. That was when he calmed down and began telling us about these beings."

"Beings?" Abe and I asked; Eva nodded.

"He said that they have been alive for thousands upon thousands of years. They know everything about everywhere and everyone. Padre said they are somewhat immortal, but not necessarily. These beings are harmed when populations are harmed."

"Why is that exactly?" I could not help but ask.

"Because they are the people, the lands, the animals, and everything combined. They are the living embodiments of nations!" It was silent for a few minutes after her last words, but it was soon interrupted by Abele bursting out laughing and me snickering. Abe laughed so hard that he clutched his stomach and had tears in his eyes.

"That's- the dumbest- thing I have ever- heard!" He managed to gasp out between his chuckling. Eva was outraged and ended up hitting Abe very hard with her school bag. I was lucky and only received a sharp smack to the back of the head.

"You're both jerks!" With that, she stormed off. Abe was still laughing as I told him goodbye and headed home.

xXx

I shook my head as I crossed the street. Nations being actual people… how ridiculous! Eva's words stuck with me as I continued the walk home. I just hoped that she was not beginning to follow in her Padre's footsteps. Without realizing it, I had suddenly walked down the wrong street. I really did need to learn to stay focused on what I was doing. Day dreaming was a terrible habit of mine. My eyes then came to a stop on some shady characters that stood across the street. They wore dark suits and sunglasses, cliché garb that any government officials would wear. I quickly forgot about them and turned to go back to the last cross section. It was when I crossed over the road that lead to an alley that I felt nothing and a large truck rammed into me. It was so sudden that I did not experience any pain, an my entire world went black. Quiet…

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(A.N.) ***Translations***:

(1)Madre- (Italian) Mother

(2)Padre- (Italian) Father

(3)Fratello- (Italian) Brother

(4)Enrico- (Italian) The main character's first name.

(5)Fiore- (Italian) Flower. Enrico's cat.

(6)Bunogiorno- (Italian) Good morning.

(7)Mascarpone- (Italian) A cheese that is spread on ciabatta.

(8)Ciabatta- (Italian) A bread that sliced and eaten for breakfast. It is usually served with mascarpone or ricotta cheese.

(9)Alduino- (Italian) Enrico's last name.

(10)Abele and Eva- (Italian) Enrico's very best friends.

Hello, everyone! This is the official first chapter for Heta-Generations! J I have been thinking of this for a while and am so happy that I have finally gotten to write my ideas down. Just to let everyone know, this is set much farther in the future than the original timelines for Hetalia even though it does not appear thus far that there are any technological advances… *Sighs* In fact, it may seem that they are even a step back than present Italy… I'm sorry if I am not clear with my descriptions. *Laughs*

I feel so bad for it being this way, but most of the entire story is going to be OC's… Don't worry though, I am including the original cast of Hetalia in several different fashions. J So far, we do not know what the plot for this story is, and we will probably not find out until the fourth chapter. The first three chapters will be back stories or setting for each of the main characters. The action will really begin in chapter four; I promise!

;)

*Wink, wink*

I hate the ending to this chapter! I'm just not satisfied with it, but I wanted to incorporate some sort of cliff hanger. I know; I'm evil! J Anyway, I wanted to leave it on a note where the audience will be asking questions. Just try not to be too angry with me… Please? Anyways, as always input is appreciated, so please feel free to leave a review!

~Ame-chan777


	2. Chapter 2

Conrad- [KAHN-rad] "brave counsel" Use: Germanic.

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Heta-Generations

Chapter Two:

Conrad

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It was all one big act. Everything was fake, the way my Mutter(1) smiled, how she spoke and behaved along with the other countless officials present-all of it, fake. But perhaps I was just the same; in fact, I know for certain that I was...

We were puppets, standing on the stage for all to see as men pulled the strings behind the scene, They were our puppeteers, and the people in front of us, our audience.

Yet, I smiled... because I was told to do so, to live it up like I had known this my entire life. When in all truth, I knew absolutely nothing...

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"Ah! I'm so happy to have met you, Conrad, Ms. Ackermann." A large hand grasped my own, pulling me into a firm shake. The portly man grinned as he added, "I am certain that such a charming young man such as yourself will live up to your Vater's(2) legacy." By "vater", he is being literal. My real Vater left before I was even born, according to Mutter... No; the person they were referring to was my past self. You heard correctly. I am an incarnation, the incarnate of Deutschland(3) itself.

The past version of myself was a man named Beilschmidt, his first name lost along with many other things in the Grande World War(4) that ended one hundred years ago and lasted double that amount of time. If only I could speak with him, then I would know what to do.

Mutter was an oblivious frau, who thought she knew everything when she was more clueless than I. She was an actress, not very memorable by any means. Her career was plummeting and her wage along with it. She blamed everything on me, like she did about everything else, saying that if I was never born that my Vater would have never left her. We would still have money, she would still be happy. Everything would have been perfect if I never existed. But I knew that her words were a lie. I had grown to be able to detect them in her speech along with everyone else.

Then, all of it changed when they discovered the mark. I had been sitting with my Mutter on the balcony of our rundown apartment. She was smoking, adding to the horrible smell embedded into her clothing. Her eyes had bags beneath them from where she hadn't slept last night, having been with yet another man. Yet, I stayed with her, even though she had grown to hate me. I tried to comfort her as much as I could by just being there. She certainly was a woman I despised, but she was still my Mutter...

As we sat together, it had started as a subtle itch on my chest. I scratched at it, and it grew even worse. Eventually, it began to burn, now spreading across my entire torso. I winced in pain. Mutter looked at me.

"What's wrong?" I could not answer her. My throat had begun to close up, and I gasped for air. "Conrad, are you alright!?" She was now terribly worried for me and pulled me up and into the living area. We then went to the nearest hospital. I was taken back immediately, seeing as I was a severe case. What happened next I could not explain... I could see the lands of my country. I saw animals, plants, buildings. And then voices, thousand upon thousands of them. Smells produced throughout the land met my nose. Swarms of numbers and statistics entered my head all at once. Nothing made sense anymore. Where was I? Who was I? What was I?

I did not have the answers, and I had not the slightest clue of where I could find them. I was ablaze, a vessel burning as hot as the sun. Information singed my cranium, coursing throughout my veins and lighting my very soul. I was no longer the same being, my body and mind had been forged into something entirely new. Into what necessarily... I was not sure.

Mutter was not aware of any of this. She just sat by the side of my hospital bed as I was unconscious. I was not awake, yet I could see her there, holding my hand tightly. How I was able to do this I was unsure.

It was then that "they" arrived, four men dressed in pristine business attire. One of them stood out, appearing more ordinary than the rest of them. He wore brown, square glasses, and his hair had been slicked back. A few strands fell, making me guess that he had gotten ready in a hurry. The man began to sweat and walked over to me.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Mutter stood from her chair, still holding onto my arm.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Ackermann. I am Dr. Oswald Brotz, and these are my accomplices, Leon Abt, Arnd Kahler, and Sven Oursler. We are here to speak to you about your son." What did they want with me? Dr. Brotz smiled as a friendly gesture, but I still did not trust him. It was then that he explained everything, about the mark, the information overloading my brain, and my true identity. It was too much for someone to take. Any sane person would be asking a thousand questions, but I only had one... Why?

xXx

We soon left the theater, escorted by security through a rear door and to a limousine going to our hotel. This way was supposed to be secluded from public use, but somehow the press caught news of this. We were surrounded by people, each wanting interviews or photographs. These were my people... Our escorts kept us safe from the cameras until we could step into the car.

The ride to our hotel room was a long one that was almost filled completely with silence. The only conversing was that between Mutter and the driver. She flirted with him because he was young and not too sore on the eyes of a woman. I rolled my eyes in disgust.

I sighed in relief as we made it to our all expenses paid room. It was then that I discarded my tie, throwing it to the floor. I fell onto one of the two beds, exhausted. Mutter grimaced then pulled on a half-hearted smile.

"I'm proud of you; you know...?" It was not seconds ago that I was pleased to be lying on the cold, slick sheets, but now the happiness was ruined. I slightly frowned at her words, yet another lie.

"Why don't you just tell me the truth? You're happy that I am getting you more attention..."

"Whatever gave you an idea like that? I'm happy for you...!" She began to grow angry, but so did I.

"What happened to you despising my existence? Are you going to start putting an act on for me too? I have to say that you are a poor actress in the business, but in life..." I laughed. "I would give you five stars!" "Conrad, enough of this!" She pulled me up roughly, forcing me to stand. "That is no way to talk to me!"

"I think you get what you deserve. I'm tired of your ****! I don't want you to lie anymore!" I broke down. "I don't want you to lie to me!"

"Never have I-!"

"Yes; you have!" I pushed her away. " And I'm sick of it! I can't stand it anymore! I can't stand you!" Tears were now spilling from my eyes. "Why don't you go live with your one night stands instead because I can't take it! I would rather die than live like this... A life shrouded in lies!"

"Conrad, put it down!" In my sadness and confusion, I had grabbed a box cutter, something I carried on me not only for protection but for myself as well. I had used it before hundreds of times in the past months, but she did not know that. It would not hurt me, not as much as her actions.

I grabbed the blade, and Mutter cried out in horror as I sliced open my wrists. Blood ran down my arms and fell onto the carpet in a thick crimson. I wanted the hate to bleed out of me. I wanted to be rid of it, all of it. I then slumped to the floor, propping against the bed and pulling my knees to my chest. Mutter backed out of the room, muttering quietly over and over, "What have you done...?". She then ran out, calling for help.

I cried my eyes out, and no matter what I did I could not stop the tears. I no longer felt physical pain, I had not felt it for a long time now... I lifted my hands up to my face. The wounds had already closed. Again, I laughed. I was an animal, beaten and bloody to be left out in the rain. I enjoyed the downpour of hope.

xXx

(A.N.) ***Translations***:

(1)Mutter- (German) Mother

(2)Vater- (German) Father

(3)Deutschland- (German) Germany

(4)Grande World War- A war that lasted for two hundred years in the future for our time. It occurred 100 years before the setting of this story.

This is the chapter where I believe things grow more serious. I wrote the rest of it in my Geometry class this morning and almost cried when I wrote the part where Conrad is attempting to prove a "point" to his mother. I won't say what it is for those of you who are like me and read the descriptions and author's notes before the chapter. Anyways, look forward to chapter three!

~Ame-chan777


	3. Chapter 3

Kaito- "sea, ocean" Use: Japanese.

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Heta-Generations

Chapter Three:

Kaito

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The whistle blew, and I flew like a bird into water, similar to that of a penguin. That was the nickname my teammates decided to call me, that or Umidori(1). Already, my actual name was ironic, but I suppose they just had to push it further...

Cheers could be heard overhead, each supporting who they wanted to win. Many shouted my own, and I smirked. I shot like a bullet with my palm soon hitting the concrete wall. I came up to the surface for air and smiled. They buzzer rang, signaling everyone that the race was finished and it was time to leave the pool. I pushed myself out of the water and stood, taking off the cap covering my hair along with my goggles. A few girls swooned or giggled on the sidelines. That was when I gave them wink, and they squealed. Guys who were in the crowd just rolled their eyes; all of them were jealous.

My coach, or Oto-san(2), quickly ran over to me, handing me a towel to dry myself off with. I accepted it and began patting down some-what. Everyone had now been out of the pool and dried. It was time for the metals to be distributed. One of the judges called out each name for each trophy. Some people clapped, but I paid no attention because I knew that I had already won.

"And our fifty meter gold medalist for the year 2500 is... Mizushima, Kaito-san(3)!" There were cheers and whistles as everyone clapped. I walked up to the man assigned to give out the prizes. The surprisingly warm metal met the fabric of my suit, and I could feel the weight of it pulling on the back of my neck. This is what I worked so hard for, to be filled with pride.

xXx

"At long last! I've missed you so much, bed!" I collapsed onto the plush mattress and spread my arms in rejoice. Before I knew what was happening, my dog, Baka(4), jumped on top of my stomach. I laughed. "You as well, Baka." He once had an actual name, but after doing so many idiotic things the name just sorta stuck.

He barked and licked my face out of sheer happiness. It was so nice being home, especially after being gone for half of the week. I petted the animal's white fur, and he finally decided to rest. I grunted in pain.

"You really need to lose some weight, buddy..." He just wagged his tail as a response. Baka was a large dog, being able to somehow convince the servants in giving him treats on top of his daily meal. Tou-san(5) would have to talk to the staff...

The next thing I knew was that the man mentioned was entering my room. He still had his casual yet presentable brown jacket on. I had already dressed into a navy blue t-shirt and gray sweat pants, exhausted. For the rest of the day, I planned on doing absolutely nothing, and I was prepared to tell Oto-san just that.

"Hello, Kaito."

"Hey." I replied non enthusiastically. He was always wanting to keep me busy, believing that it would be fun for the both of us. But there was no way that I was going anywhere at the moment.

"I'm proud of you for how you did earlier. I really wish that I could swim like you. Funny that we're right beside the ocean now. I used to live in Hokkaido(6) when I was younger, but look at where we ended up, Yokohama(7)! Next stop Tokyo!" He laughed. This was how he talked, rambling on about the olden days.

After a while, I learned to tune him out and focus more on counting the impressions placed in bedroom ceiling. "Oh, and one more thing... We're going to be eating dinner later than usual because we have to be to the airport by two."

"Excuse me!?" The question exploded from my lips as I sat up suddenly, startling Baka. This was the first time of me ever hearing this. When did he even plan this trip!? "Why do we have to leave tonight?"

"Because it was the only time we could schedule an interview and meeting." He turned to leave and rested his hand on the door knob.

"Interview? Meeting? What are you talking about!? Where the hell are we going!?"

"You have been gaining a lot of recognition as of late, even from the great actress Amelia Ackermann! She wants to meet with you!"

"So that's what this is about..." My Oto-san was obsessed with the mediocre half-American, half-German actress, Amelia Ackermann. This big fuss was just because he was dying to meet her.

"She just happens to be a big fan of swimming and of you!"(8) He blushed.

"She sees your talent. Just think of the publicity you will get!" I rolled my eyes. There goes my relaxing evening...

xXx

The rush to Haneda airport(9) was insane. Dozens of people pushed and shoved one another, attempting to board their flights in time. I had a large duffel bag slung over my shoulder with the word Umidori stitched on the front. The same letters were adorned on the back of my jersey as well.

"Hurry, Kaito, or we'll be late!" My Oto-san grasped my hand and pulled for me to follow. We weaved through the crowd, paying attention to those in front of us, the directing signs, and boarding announcements all at the same time. The result was an immediate migraine. "Here we are." At last, we arrived at the boarding pass.

"Tickets, sir?" A pretty lady with straight black hair stopped us for only a second. Tou-san had to fumble with his pockets until he pulled out the two tickets that she had requested. He laughed and made a corny joke. I huffed, crossed my arms, and began tapping my foot out of impatience. "Both of you, have a pleasant flight."

I sighed and sank into my first class seat once we were on the plane. This was going to be along flight. Might as well get some sleep... I grabbed an eye mask, put it on, reclined, and fell into a deep slumber before Tou-san could say another word.

xXx

I awoke to the sound of engines powering down. A hand nudged my arm. "Hey, wake up...!" Tou-san continued to tell me to get up, but when I peered out the window to my left it was completely dark outside. It had to be four 'o clock in the morning... Sleep, that was all that I asked for.

"A few more minutes..." I waved my hand at him to leave me alone.

"We have to leave now! There's a car waiting for us, come on!" He pulled me up and dragged me to where we were going. I was half asleep as we went and barely noticed as we gathered our luggage and went out the sliding doors to the outside. The car ride was a blur, but I do remember having a car horn blare in my ears. It caused me to wake for a brief second, and I kindly told it to piss off. I was relieved once we reached the hotel, a large twelve story building in the heart of Berlin.

"We need to be to the interview by ten tomorrow, so get up by at least eight thirty; got it?" Tou-san said once we were about to go to bed. I nodded exhausted. It was when I pulled back the sheets, laid down, and closed my eyes that a piercing scream came from above. This time my body would not let me go back to sleep. It appeared that the night was not over yet...

xXx

(A.N.) ***Translations***:

(1)Umidori- (Japanese) SeaBird

(2)Otosan- (Japanese) Father

(3)Mizushima, Kaito- (Japanese) Kaito's full name. It means Water Island, Sea (Ocean).

(4)Baka- (Japanese) Idiot.

(5)Tousan- (Japanese) Dad. Informal way of saying father.

(6)Hokkaido- I wanted somewhere far away from Yokohama.

(7)Yokohama- Where Kaito and his father have a residence.

(8)"She just happens to be a big fan of swimming and of you!"- I needed a connection between Kaito and Conrad...

(9)Haneda airport- An airport near Tokyo. I was originally going to have Kaito and his father leave by nine, but after doing the math that would make no sense for the story...

Forgive me for not giving Kaito more of a story... I intend for his character to be discovered throughout Heta-Generations. He's supposed to be rather childish but serious when it matters.

I really should be writing on "Choose Your Player", but I have had a HUGE inspiration for this story. Already, I have the next chapter half completed. Hopefully, I will be able to get that up soon. But I will leave with saying, in the next chapter things go DOWN.

Tumblr Edit: I honestly thought I posted this right after Conrad's segment, but I suppose that was only my imagination...

~Ame-chan777


	4. Chapter 4

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Heta-Generations Chapter Four: Encounters

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It was a race up the stairs. The teenager almost tumbled several times in the process, but his father was right behind him to push the boy along. There had been a scream, a piercing scream of a woman. It had awoken both Kaito and his father right when they had retired for the evening. This occurrence threw a wrench in their current plans, but what they did not know was that it would change their lives completely...

xXx

Conrad could not prevent the tears from escaping his eyes. He sat there, defeated yet victorious. His mother had run out of the room to who knows where, screaming and sobbing about blood. Red still covered the majority of his forearms, already drying and staining his skin. The wounds had closed instantly, the pinches of pain at his wrists were now faded - nonexistent.

But the question arose... What would he do now? There was no one beside his mother, no relatives that he knew of, that would be willing to take him in. Would he be able to make it on his own...? Of course not... He was too young. Conrad was only fifteen years old, and he could not work or go anywhere. People would know who he was. His face had been plastered on the fronts of newspapers and magazines. How could he ever get away...?

"Are you alright!? What happened!?" Not his mother but someone else had arrived at the door. Two Japanese men stood in the doorway, their eyes going wide at the scene before them. They were foreign yet the two of them spoke excellent English. Conrad decided to reply in German, maybe so he could fool them into believing that he did not understand.

"Leave!" But, they did not. "Go and leave me alone!" The eldest began to back away, but the youngest grabbed his wrist and held him back.

"I know that you understand me. You reacted when I first spoke, so please let us help you..." The tears were coming back without Conrad realizing it. Suddenly, he dropped his head and began sobbing. "My name is Kaito Mizushima. What is your's...?" Kaito ventured forward, kneeled beside the broken boy, and carefully placed his hand on Conrad's shoulder.

"C- Conrad... A- Ackermann..." He managed between sobs.

"Ackermann!?" Kaito's father blurted out in bewilderment. "Are you related to the actress Amel-!?"

"My Mutter..." Mr. Mizushima squealed in excitement. "She only cares about herself. The only reason her career was sky rocketing in the first place was because of me..." His eyebrows furrowed out of disappointment.

"What do you mean?" Kaito then asked; Conrad looked up at him in confusion.

"Are you saying that you don't know that I'm-?" He was interrupted by the sound of gun shots and shattered glass hitting the carpet. Someone had shot out the window, and everyone instantly ducked.

"Don't tell me that you're involved with gangs or terrorists!" More bullets fired, and they crawled on their stomachs to the exit.

"No! I didn't even know it was possible that someone would be after me! It must be because of that..." He mumbled the last part to himself. What would he be any good for other than his healing abilities...? The only thing else that came to mind was a bargaining piece.

"Well, it's stupid to stay here! Come on; let's go!" Kaito grasped Conrad's hand, and for a moment some form of familiarity tingled up the German's spine. He quickly disregarded it as more shots rang in their ears.

xXx

There was noise, countless murmurs and beeps. He awoke in a fog and could not make sense of any of this. What had happened...? The last he remembered was walking in the street and... His head ached if he thought too much on it. Enrico was finally able to see clearly. He laid in a hospital bed, an IV drip connected to his arm and a heart monitor to his left. He looked around the room but saw no one. Where was a nurse? Where was a doctor?

"Hello? Is anyone here?" His voice was hoarse but he was able to speak a few words. Enrico felt his right shoulder begin to itch. He scratched but it then began to burn. "Nurse?" There was a call button beside him on the wall. He did not care about the wires connected to his body but physically lunged for the button. "Nurse!? Nurse!" He failed in his attempt and ended up sprawled on the cold tile floor instead. This frigid temperature did nothing to affect his body, that continued to persistently burn.

"He's in here!" At last, assistance had arrived. But those clothes... were not that of a doctor.

xXx

They ran as fast as humanly possible, rushing down the stairs and out the front door. The three of them darted around corners, attempting to dodge the barrage of bullets. Conrad continued to hold onto Kaito's hand while they ran. Mr. Mizushima was at the tail of their party.

In one miniscule second, the adult of their trio was down. As the two boys turned around and paused, a shot was fired. Blood spurt from the gaping wound in Mr. Mizushima's shoulder, painting the pavement a brilliant crimson. Kaito's eyes went wide from terror, but Conrad could only gape in horror.

"Otou-san!" The boy began to run to his father, but the man waved him away.

"No, Kaito. Go while you still-!" Amidst the pain and tears, a bullet tore through his cranium. He fell to the ground as soon as the fatal wound was inflicted.

"Tou-san!" Kaito screamed until his voice gave out. Conrad pulled him away, fighting his own grief from what had just occurred. Fresh tears fell onto the pavement, mixing with the just as rich blood.

xXx

Heart beats, thousands of them. He could feel them hum within his own chest cavity. They were like drums, beating to the rhythm of life. A breath escaped his lips like the very wind blowing that day in Italy. His arms twitched with calculations and his fingers with newly found knowledge. There was tremor of business that ran up along his spine. His eyes burned then opened with awakening.

Enrico looked at his surroundings, the world different than that of before. It was as if he were a newborn once again. He was forced to relearn everything that he knew, gathering more information than ever before. Things that he would never even consider stood out, we're now somehow significant. The boy could not explain how he felt different. It was almost as if... he was not quite human anymore.

Where his body had been burning before, it was now ice cold. If he could compare it to anything it would be like the scorch of the sun at noon to the chill of the moon at midnight.

Enrico finally lifted his upper body. His wrists were bound to the cold table he rested on. He had to break free, get away from this place as soon as possible. The Italian could not explain why he felt this way. Something in the air just felt toxic, poisonous to his very being.

"It seems that someone is awake." A voice came from overhead, an intercom more than likely. Enrico could see clearer now after having spent several minutes with his eyes opened. He had been removed from the room where his awakening began and now rested in a room similar to those usually used in surgical procedures. That thought made him even more frightened as a man appeared from the window above and waved, the owner of the voice. "Do you see me, Enrico?" The boy in question nodded his head then continued to look around at the peculiar machines and staff surrounding him. "Good; I assume that you are now fully aware of yourself and acknowledge that you are the embodiment of the newly formed Northern half of Italy. Countries have been and still are awakening all over the world, but your case is one of the few that are out of the ordinary. You only have say over the North but not the South. Enrico, we need you to join with South and make the two halves officially one."

"What; why?" Enrico frowned in confusion.

"It would make our current goals a little easier to achieve." He paced a little back and forth, as if debating with himself what exactly he could share with the country.

"And, what are those exactly?" The man paused then looked at him with a false smile of sympathy.

"Forgive me, but that is classified." With every second, Enrico disliked this further and further. The words that this individual spoke did not rest well in his stomach. "I'm sorry, North, but we are going to have to sedate you for the time being." Enrico thrashed back and forth as a staff member gripped his arm like an iron vice and attempted to stick a needle in it. "We're just going to be running a few tests; this will help with the pain." He panicked as the thin metal pierced his skin and fluid entered his veins. His limbs soon became numb, and his world turned once more into a great fog...

xXx

(A.N.) A tragic end for Mr. Mizushima, but his character was a bit insignificant. That is why he never got to finish his cliche speech. Lol. (With minor characters I'm cruel. Hee!)

*No cultural\translative notes this time! Yay!

~Ame-chan777


End file.
